


misplaced

by Freecure



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Breaking Up & Making Up, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 08:38:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18426966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freecure/pseuds/Freecure
Summary: Lollipops, honey buns, sprite and a conversation that’s long overdue.





	misplaced

**Author's Note:**

> uhhh. in this fic, Vanitas and Ventus have history so please keep that in mind. uhm. There's a song that goes with this and it's [this one](https://youtu.be/lhyijN4ftko). It's mentioned later. uhmmmm.

The second the bell rang, Ventus stood from his desk and beat his classmates to the door. Throughout the entirety of algebra II, world literature and chemistry, he’d been preoccupied. He didn’t sit near the window in any of his classes, but his gaze fixated on the dreary storm clouds that crawled along slowly in the distance. It hadn’t yet rained, but the clouds hung overhead like a threat.

Ventus stepped outside. Classmates and upperclassmen had already secured their spots at the various tables and benches for lunch. It was brave of them to mingle outside despite the high chance of rain, but there were few things more stubborn than teenagers.

As he passed by, he waved at a few friends and acquaintances. They invited him to sit down but he shrugged and hastily made up some excuse for needing to be somewhere. A lie and they all knew it. He could feel eyes on his back as he headed toward the annex building. A few art classes were held there, notably photography and 3D art. Students hung out in front of the building, socializing instead of working on their assignments.

It was even worse behind the building. They’d built the annex close to the street due to lack of sufficient space anywhere else. The only thing separating students from the sweet freedom of the outside world was a poorly maintained black steel fence. Some underclassman would hide behind the annex, ducking below the windows in the back of the building and sitting on the grass to watch the cars pass by. Others would get high during lunch or hop the fence and take off down the sidewalk.

No teachers patrolled the area and their negligence led to students coming back with fast food and snacks from the nearby convenience store. If anyone wanted to get up to something, they usually headed there. Ventus hadn’t learned all that from personal experience but from his ex-boyfriend who’d made it his hangout spot.

Ventus’ steps slowed as he neared the annex. A pair of girls waved at him but he was too caught up in his own thoughts to reciprocate their greeting. _Ex_ -boyfriend. It felt wrong to say, an unwanted sour taste on his tongue. It’d been a month and Ventus still didn’t understand what happened that Thursday night.

Their breakup hadn’t ended well. Ventus kept asking questions and received vague answers in response. They hadn’t spoken or glanced at each other since then. His friends had gotten the hint to not ask him about it. What would he tell them? He was as clueless as they were.

Not anymore. Ventus deserved answers.

Ventus rounded the corner and wasn’t surprised to see the person who’d been occupying his thoughts sitting with his back against the old brick building. He held a cigarette in his hand and stared dazedly out into the street as the cars passed by. His uniform was a mess. It always was. Shirt untucked, shoes untied, black and gold plaid pants wrinkled. He wasn’t wearing a tie or blazer at all. His unruly black hair swayed slightly as a cold rush of air came by.

He hadn’t changed a bit.

Why had Ventus thought he would? It’d only been a month. His stomach pulled tight as he wondered if Vanitas cried _at all_ over their breakup. Did he miss Ventus? Did he think about him?

Wordlessly, Ventus moved forward and sat beside him in the grass. A green honda drove by and they both watched it silently. The smell of cigarette smoke had begun to dwindle but it revived as tan lips blew out a ridiculous amount of smoke. Ventus adjusted his breathing to ineffectually keep the poisonous air from his lungs. He so easily fell into old habits, as if no time had passed at all.

A loud sigh came from beside him. Ventus bent his knee and leaned his elbow on it. They turned their heads at the same time, one sick of everyone and everything, the other tired and as close to angry as he could be.

“What?” A puff of smoke came between them and Ventus waved it out of his face. Obnoxious asshole.

“I wanted to talk to you, Vanitas,” Ventus said. It felt weird to say his whole name. They’d gotten to the point where Ventus could call him a few nicknames and not get cussed out afterward.

Vanitas tapped his cigarette and watched the ash fall to the ground. He sniffed. “Start.”

Ventus tripped at the starting line. He hadn’t thought Vanitas would allow Ventus anywhere near him, let alone start a conversation. He’d expected a bit of cat and mouse. “Uhm…” He sucked in his lips and played with his perfectly ironed black tie.

Vanitas snorted. He ran a hand through his black hair. “No plan, huh?”

“I have a plan,” Ventus defended. He adjusted his gold blazer and eyed Vanitas’ white sneakers. “But you know what I want to talk about. Don’t act like you don’t.”

Vanitas coughed into his arm. He sniffed again and turned his bleary golden eyes onto Ventus. “I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m _not_ , Ventus.”

That was even weirder. No one called him his full name, not even Terra when he was angry at him. Ventus thinned his lips and looked back out toward the street. His heart pounded, but not in the good way. A part of him had hoped that he’d sit down and Vanitas would swing his arm around Ventus’ shoulders like always. He’d put out his cigarette as Ventus berated him about his health and they’d kiss like they had a hundred times before.

Ventus _missed_ that. He missed kissing Vanitas’ ashtray lips and his stupid laugh whenever Ventus brought it up. He missed when they’d hold hands on the soccer field afterschool and Vanitas would bitch about a substitute or new teacher that kept giving him a hard time. He wondered if he was the only one who missed those moments.

“God,” Ventus muttered, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He couldn’t do this. The wound was still fresh and asking Vanitas about the why’s and how’s would add salt to it. Ventus was too tender hearted to take it. He didn’t have walls built like Vanitas nor the bravado to pretend that he did.

Vanitas stubbed out his cigarette in the grass and a stormy breeze carried the scent of smoke away. Ventus could feel his eyes on him. He wanted Vanitas to just _tell_ him. He didn’t want to ask. He shouldn’t _have_ to ask.

So Ventus didn’t ask about their breakup or their relationship or if Vanitas missed him. He raised his head and wiped at his eye with the back of his wrist. “Did you eat lunch yet?”

Vanitas’ eyes narrowed and Ventus’ stomach lurched as he noticed the bags under his eyes. “No. Y’know I don’t eat lunch.”

When they’d first started dating, Vanitas would smoke instead of eat. Ventus started bringing enough food for two and gradually got Vanitas to at least eat a sandwich sometimes. With them broken up, it looked like he’d regressed into old habits.

Ventus looked out at the street and the fence that barricaded them. The two of them had never skipped class before. Vanitas probably had before they’d gotten together, but Ventus had always been a model student, if a bit forgetful and distracted. Skipping class had never occurred to him. But today, he felt unsettled. He hadn’t been focusing in any of his classes and his head had been filled with thoughts of Vanitas and the freckles on his cheeks.

He gripped his knees tightly and looked at Vanitas with sad eyes. “Let’s go get some.”

Vanitas raised a brow. “From?”

“The gas station around the corner.”

“Wait,” Vanitas spoke, turning to face Ventus fully. “Did you just fucking suggest we leave campus?”

Ventus stood and walked over to the black fence. He grabbed one of the bars tightly and shook it. “Yeah. I’ll go with or without you.”

Ventus heard Vanitas mutter ‘what the fuck’ and then came the jingling of his pant chain. Vanitas walked up beside him with a sneer and wide-eyes. “Are you sick? Or high?”

“I’m not high,” Ventus frowned. “I am sick, though.”

“Got a fever?”

“No,” Ventus replied, looking at him with frustration. He let that hang in the air and began to climb. The wind blew his tie in his face which made the simple task much more difficult. He swung his legs over the top of the fence looked around the area. His heart beat in his ears as he thought about what would happen if he got caught. They’d call Terra. He’d get sent to the Principal’s office. He’d get suspended for the first time _ever_.

Ventus took a deep breath of the cold, autumn air and pushed himself forward. He stumbled as he landed, but he’d made it without any tears or scratches to his uniform. He looked behind him to see if Vanitas followed him. He did. He climbed the fence and jumped over it easily. Ventus waited for him to catch up and then they ran, darting across the street and onto the sidewalk as the school day continued on behind them.

 

 

Being away from school felt like existing in a weird pocket of space. School didn’t stop when he wasn’t there and the world didn’t stop spinning because he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. An odd feeling in his stomach kept poking and telling him to turn back. If he ran, he’d be back over the fence before lunch was over. His hands were shaking and he stuffed them in his pockets. He felt bad for doing something he wasn’t supposed to but the adrenaline and exhilaration he felt for that exact same reason quelled his anxiety.

Vanitas walked silently beside him. His kept his eyes forward. The space between them was amicable. Not as close as when they dated, but not so far as to suggest animosity. Ventus ran a hand through his hair and settled his palm on the back of his neck. He was sweating so _much_.

“Why are we sneaking out?”

Ventus looked over at Vanitas. He appeared thoughtful and a little pissed, which was normal for him. “To get lunch,” Ventus answered, squinting his eyes. He’d made that pretty clear earlier.

Vanitas sighed exasperatedly. A subtle breeze carried hints of apprehension and the smell of rain. “Not what I meant. I know what you’re doin’.”

Ventus stopped walking. “What am I doing, Vanitas?”

Vanitas took an extra step and stood in front of him. His left hand played with his pant chain. “You feel bad for me, right? Checkin’ in on me after the breakup to make sure I’m alright?”

Ventus had never felt so misunderstood in his entire life. Where had that explanation come from? He grit his teeth, hands balling into fists because Vanitas didn’t see it. How could he not? Ventus didn’t hide his emotions. He didn’t lash out at others and isolate himself. He wore his heart on his sleeve and Vanitas, the person he’d spent _months_ with, couldn’t see what he was feeling.

“ _Wrong_ ,” Ventus seethed. “You’re acting like _I_ was the one who broke up with _you!_ ”

Vanitas’ eyes softened just the slightest bit. He reached in his pocket for a cigarette but didn’t pull one out. He’d fallen into an old habit of his own, it seemed. “I had to,” he said.

Ventus’ felt his heart pound. Every sound faded away as the rhythmic beating echoed throughout his body. He could feel his pulse in his wrists and neck, hammering against his ribcage. Ventus’ mind couldn’t keep up. He’d already been confused and then Vanitas gave him _another_ vague answer.

“Had to…?” Ventus breathed. He clutched his chest, blinking back tears as he brought himself back to the moment. They were walking through the neighborhood on the sidewalk with cracks in the concrete to go to the convenience store. “What do you mean you _had to_?”

The storm clouds circled above them. They joined hands and collectively decided that the perfect time to begin the rainfall was right then, when Ventus was nearly hyperventilating and Vanitas codly watched with a guarded look in his eye. It started slowly, a poke on his nose, a gentle hand on his cheek, a kiss to his forehead. The rain fell sweet and kind upon them and Ventus felt his own tears join in the chorus.

Vanitas moved closer and loosely took Ventus’ hand in his own. “Come on,” he said quietly. His wet bangs shrouded his right eye. “It’s gonna get worse.”

They hurriedly continued down the sidewalk as the rain began to pour. Vanitas’ grip was so loose that their palms weren’t connected at all. Their fingers were interlocked in a strange way that Ventus didn’t entirely mind. He pressed his fingertips against Vanitas’ and followed along.

They turned the corner and crossed the street again to reach the convenience store. A few people gave them looks as they recognized the uniforms and lack of umbrellas but Vanitas stared them all down. The overhang of the store shielded them from the rain. Once they were safe, Ventus let his hand fall first.

“ _Vanitas_ …” he croaked, shoulders sagging, stomach turning. He wrapped his arms around himself feeling alone and stupid despite his present company being someone who knew him so well. At least Ventus had thought he did.

Vanitas wrung the water out of his uniform shirt. “Stay here. I’ll get food.”

“Do you have—?”

“ _Yes_ , I have fucking money. Go wait for me in the back.” Vanitas jabbed his thumb in the direction Ventus needed to go and then spun on his heels to go in the store.

Ventus watched him leave. Without Vanitas’ intimidating stare, people started looking at him again. He turned and headed toward the back of the store before they threatened to call the school.

Behind the store stood a single recycling bin and a dumpster a few feet away. Ventus leaned back against the brick building and watched the rain fall down from the overhang. He looked down at his feet, black converse shiny and wet from the rain. Old cigarette butts lay forgotten on the concrete and Ventus kicked them away. Thunder roared, sounding close but distant simultaneously.

Had to. Ventus sniffed and lowered himself to sit on the ground. He couldn’t get the words out of his head or the way Vanitas looked at him as he took his hand. Before their breakup, he’d gotten distant. Any attempt Ventus made to talk to him about it or comfort him only made it worse. Vanitas had pushed him away and then cut the tie so suddenly and without reason. Ventus kept chasing and Vanitas kept moving forward. Eventually, Ventus stopped.

The only answer he’d been given was that Vanitas _had to_. Ventus’ gaze became blurry as he watched the rain splatter against the ground. He stretched out his legs and thought about the time he and Vanitas made out in the back of his car. It’d been after a football game that Ventus had attended to support a friend. Vanitas had come with out of boredom and they spent the whole night arguing and talking over the cheering crowd instead of paying attention to the game. When it ended, they stayed on the bleachers as the temperature lowered and people cleared the field. The football coach had to yell at them to go home and they got up to do so, but wasted another hour in the back of his ‘09 Impreza. They left the key in the accessory position and Vanitas laid against his side in the backseat.

They talked about everything and nothing while Ventus ran his hand through black hair. He played a Hellogoodbye song on his phone and Vanitas had groaned, turning his face into Ventus’ neck and begging him to play some Garth Brooks. That started another argument about their differing tastes in music.

“He’s a country sensation,” Vanitas had told him, glaring like they were arguing about something serious. “The fact that you haven’t heard of him is fucking _disrespectful_.” They kept yelling their opinions at each other until Ventus got tired and leaned over to kiss Vanitas to shut him up.

Ventus thought about that night often. He thought about all of their moments together, ingrained in his mind and held in his heart. He took a shuddering breath as he rubbed his cold fingers together. The sound of footsteps and plastic made him turn his head to the left as Vanitas appeared with a lollipop in his mouth.

Vanitas handed the plastic bag to Ventus, who took it with trembling hands. He opened it and poured over the contents while Vanitas got settled beside him. A bottle of sprite, two honey buns, an apple, and an assortment of candy that didn’t constitute as ‘lunch’ rested in the sack. Ventus took out the sprite and opened it. He placed the bag between them and said nothing as Vanitas dug inside to get a snickers bar.

His mood took a turn for the worse. He’d already been annoyed and miserable and frustrated, but seeing that Vanitas got his two favorite snacks (honey buns and _Sprite_ ) as well as an apple to scratch his health nut itch brought him to an all time low. He reached into the bag and pulled out a honey bun. He ate it in a haze, one bite leading to two as he lost focus of everything except the feelings in his chest. He finished it in what felt like seconds and he put the trash back in the plastic sack.

Ventus reached up to wipe a crumb from the corner of his mouth. “How much was it? I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t bother,” Vanitas grumbled. He switched between sucking on his lollipop and taking bites of his snickers bar.

Ventus stared at him for long moment before he scoffed. “That done with me, huh? You didn’t have to come with me, y’know.”

Vanitas kept eye contact as he pulled his lollipop from with his mouth with an offensive ‘pop’. “I know that,” he snapped, raising a knee to lean his elbow against.

A break in the rainfall stripped Ventus of his distraction. All he had was Vanitas and his terrible eating habits. Why had he hopped the fence with him? Why had he offered to buy their lunch and purposefully bought Ventus’ favorite foods? The answer Ventus came up with went against what Ventus had told him earlier on their walk over. He pulled on the sleeves of his blazer as a flash of lightning lit up the sky.

The storm reminded him of a song, the same one that Ventus had pulled up after searching for Garth Brooks. “The Thunder Rolls,” it’d been called and the somber lyrics and melody had played quietly in the car and eased them both into silence. The song served as an entry point to country music for him. One song led to another until he’d listened to the entire Garth Brooks discography and moved on to other greats like Brooks & Dunn and Dolly Parton.

Ventus laughed suddenly. “I’ve been listening to Garth Brooks.” He didn’t mention that he’d memorized all of the slow breakup songs over the past month.

Vanitas snorted. He crumpled up his snickers wrapper and stuffed it in the sack. “Good. You need some fucking culture in your life.”

Ventus’ frail smile fell and he looked at Vanitas with longing in his eyes. “I’d rather have something else...”

Vanitas sharply turned to face him. Golden eyes set ablaze and mouth turned down into a scowl. They clashed as they so often did but Vanitas looked away first. He mussed up his hair and muttered something that sounded an awful lot like _‘Dammit_ Ventus’.

It wasn’t anger that spurred Ventus forward, nor frustration or annoyance. It was despair that prompted him to lift the plastic sack and move it to his left side. He scooted closer to Vanitas until their knees brushed. Vanitas always made it clear when he didn’t want to be touched but he did nothing as Ventus leaned his head upon his shoulder.

Blonde bangs fell in front of Ventus’ eyes but he didn’t move them. He bit his bottom lip, chewed on it, hesitated and spoke with what little courage he had left. “Why did you breakup with me, Van?”

The hush of rain fell over them as it picked up again. It brought with it cool winds and thunder that bellowed in the distance. Vanitas lowered his arm and twirled the lollipop in his hand. Strawberry flavored with gum in the middle. “It was too much,” he answered.

Vanitas’ words were a sharp dagger to his heart. Ventus pulled on the sleeve of his blazer, exhaling in short bursts. “You mean _I_ was too much?”

“That’s not what I said,” Vanitas spoke. He shifted and Ventus moved along with him. “I said _it_.”

Ventus had enough anger left in him to scoff. “What, like, our relationship?”

Vanitas said nothing and that was all the answer Ventus needed. He lifted his head and glared like a rapidly dwindling fire. “What do you mean? Like our arguments? Vanitas, none of those were serious. I don’t care if you unironically like the smell of axe body spray—”

“That’s not it!” Vanitas interrupted, raising his voice above Ventus’ outburst and the rain battering against the overhang. He ran his hands through his hair looking as exasperated as Ventus had ever seen him. “You and Terra and everything. It was too _much_.”

Ventus moved back, giving Vanitas some space. They both needed it as the truth was placed between them. But the seconds passed and the more Ventus thought on it the more he didn’t understand. He’d had to, it’d been too much, he’d gotten distant, and yet he hadn’t told Ventus _any_ of it.

“Van,” he whispered, lifting shaking fingers to touch his knee. “Talk to me, please.”

Vanitas rounded on him with so much anger that Ventus was unprepared and flinched. “ _Everything_ , Ventus! You were always there, inviting me to places and introducing me to people I don’t give a shit about. And fucking _Terra_ all of a sudden stopped glaring at me and actually fucking _smiled_ when I’d come over!”

Ventus sucked in a breath. “Van, those are all _good_ things.”

“Are they?!” Vanitas nearly shrieked. “Really? Because I felt like I couldn’t fucking breathe. Things were getting too comfy cozy and I—!” Vanitas hesitated, voice faltering. He shrunk back, curling in on himself as he pressed his back against the building. “I felt smothered. It wasn’t _my_ normal and I hated it.”

Ventus played with the buttons on his blazer sleeve. He found that hard to believe when Vanitas seemed to have fun when they spent time together. Vanitas wasn’t one to laugh or smile but Ventus recalled the few times that did happen. He chewed the inside of his cheek, pushing himself to speak. “You didn’t hate everything. I know you didn’t.”

Vanitas narrowed his eyes, looking conflicted. “... Not everything, but a lot of shit.”

“You’re just not used to it,” said Ventus, leaning his shoulder against the wall.

“And who said I wanted to get used to it?”

“You don’t?”

Vanitas glared at him, but his gaze lacked the usual harshness. “I don’t know what I want, Ventus. I thought it’d only get worse if we stayed together, and so I…” Vanitas made a vague gesture in the air between them, signaling their abrupt breakup. “But I didn’t mean to give you such a fucking hard time. I just needed to figure shit out on my own and I wanted that time.”

Ventus furrowed his thick brows. Annoyance and empathy swirled in his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“Because you’d get all offended!” Vanitas exclaimed, gesturing to Ventus with a hand. “You take everything personally instead of just _listening_ to me.”

Ventus frowned and opened his mouth to argue but Vanitas pointed two fingers in his face.

“Don’t fucking try and argue that, Ventus.” Golden eyes peered into his soul. “You were feeling sorry for yourself all the way over here.”

Ventus pushed himself off the wall. “Yeah, because you didn’t give me a reason!” He pointed his finger right back in Vanitas’ face. “If you’d just _talked_ to me, we could’ve worked something out.”

“If I’d done that, you still would’ve hung around me.” Vanitas countered.

“I wouldn’t have!”

“You _would’ve_ , Ventus. Don’t deny that.”

“I _am_ denying that because if you had asked for space, I would’ve given it to you. I respect your boundaries. I always have,” Ventus reasoned.

Vanitas grumbled but didn’t have anything to say to that. Ventus was always careful of that. Partly due to anxiety but also because he liked spending time with Vanitas and didn’t want that to stop. If an argument all of a sudden grew serious because he’d asked a question that was too personal or brought up a subject that Vanitas would prefer stay buried, he’d beat himself up about it for a year. He didn’t want to mess up his relationship with Vanitas. It’d taken them _years_ to admit their feelings and get together.

“Sorry,” Vanitas bumped their knees together. “I just couldn’t talk to you. I don’t know.”

“You’re afraid,” Ventus whispered, leaning over to touch Vanitas’ knee. “What do you think is going to happen?”

Vanitas scratched his chin. “I don’t know. Might get too attached, or I—”

“Might fall in love?” Ventus joked, poking Vanitas’ knee twice for good measure. He smiled and kept nudging Vanitas, waiting for a sarcastic or abrasive remark. “I’m kidding. Y’know, ‘ha ha good one, Ventus! You’re hilarious’.”

Vanitas didn’t laugh. He looked at him with an impassive expression, so it was difficult to tell if he was being serious or if he deadass didn’t care. Ventus bit his lip and lowered his hand.

Vanitas looked away and reached in his pocket for a cigarette. “You’re so fucking transparent.”

“What? How?”

“It’s easy to tell what you’re feeling.”

“Yeah, I know what you meant. I asked _how_. I just told a joke!”

Vanitas lit his cigarette and took a long, tired drag. “Was it a joke?”

Ventus closed his mouth. He faced forward, bringing his knees up to his chest in his distinctive moping position. “It was till you said that,” he mumbled.

“Hm,” Vanitas hummed.

The awkwardness settled over them like a blanket. Vanitas burned through his cigarette and lit another one. Ventus took regular sips of his sprite and tried not to think about what Vanitas had implied with his question. More importantly, he didn’t want Vanitas to feel like he couldn’t talk to him. Whether it was trust or boundaries or whatever, Ventus wanted them to able to talk to each other about anything. Ventus had felt that way, but it hadn’t been reciprocated and that hurt to realize.

“Look, I’m sorry too for… not noticing.” Ventus waved a hand in lieu of a specific explanation.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Vanitas said softly.

Ventus turned and leaned his head on his arms. “Van, you’re my best friend first. If you need time to yourself, just tell me, okay?”

“Ugh,” Vanitas groaned.

“Okay?”

“Fine.”

Ventus lifted his head and bumped his shoulder against Vanitas’. “I’ll be there for you when you’re ready.”

“ _Christ_.”

“Too much?”

Vanitas eyed him. “Very.”

“Sorry,” Ventus laughed, unabashed.

They had more to talk about but the rough tension that’d followed them like a shadow had vanished. Ventus had accomplished what he’d set out to do and Vanitas’ had relaxed for the first time since he’d sat down. Maybe those bags under his eyes would start to go away. Thinking about what Vanitas had said, how he didn’t know what he wanted. Ventus needed to consider that, too. He had his own wants and desires outside of Vanitas and while he missed him terribly, he wanted to learn more about himself.

He’d make good use of the time and when they were both ready, well. Maybe they’d have another conversation.

The bag of snacks was slowly emptied and all that remained were a bag of skittles and half a bottle of sprite. Ventus opened his palm for another helping and Vanitas, the stingy jerk, only gave him two skittles to munch on. Ventus didn’t complain. He leaned his head back on Vanitas’ shoulder and chewed slowly.

“I listened to this song a lot over the past few weeks,” Ventus said, getting his phone out of his back pocket. He noted that lunch was over and their last class had started. He didn’t care. “I can’t get it out of my head.”

Vanitas leaned his head atop Ventus’ to get a better look at his phone. “If it’s Hellogoodbye or Katy Perry, I’m leaving.”

“It’s not. It’s Garth Brooks.”

Vanitas hummed as Ventus brought it up on his phone. Before the song could play, he reached over and paused it. “Sing it,” he said at Ventus’ questioning glance.

Ventus sputtered. He nearly spat out what little remained of the skittles he’d been chewing on. He’d only sang for Vanitas _once_ before and that was only because he was severely sleep deprived after staying up late to finish a history report. But that had been his own decision. This was the first time Vanitas asked.

With a huff, Ventus put his phone away. He twisted the fabric of his pants between his fingers and Vanitas brushed his hand against Ventus’. A subtle touch of encouragement. Ventus brushed his bangs out of his eyes and softly opened his mouth to sing.

He’d heard the song while going on his Garth Brooks binge. It was called “The Dance” and he’d liked it but moved on because the lyrics didn’t apply to him at the time. But after what happened, it’d been the first song he listened to while sulking in his room. The words came easily to him and he sang so softly but full of emotion as the feelings that’d been festering inside him came out.

Vanitas was quiet as Ventus sang the first verse but then he knocked his knee against Ventus’. “That’s the wrong key.”

Ventus stopped abruptly. “I don’t know anything about the technical side of music, Vanitas.”

“It fucking shows.”

“ _You_ sing it, then,” Ventus urged, bumping Vanitas’ knee in revenge. Vanitas went quiet and Ventus grinned in triumph. “That’s what I thought.”

Ventus kept singing in the same, incorrect key that he started in. His voice carried through the first chorus, the second verse, and the second chorus. The song was short, bittersweet and had helped hold him together during a time when he’d fallen apart. His voice broke on the last held note but Vanitas kept his opinion to himself. Ventus held his palm out for more skittles and Vanitas gave him six.

“We should head back,” Vanitas suggested, lifting the bag of skittles to his mouth and chugging an indefinite amount.

“Mhm,” Ventus agreed, but neither of them moved.

The rain completely stopped when the school day was over. The sun peaked out from behind the clouds, heating the air and bringing unwanted humidity. The convenience store saw a flurry of activity as a rush of students stopped by to get their fix of sugar and unhealthy snacks. No one noticed them and if they did, they chose to leave them alone.

The bottle of sprite was emptied, the skittle bag was added to the sack of trash, and Ventus and Vanitas continued to sit behind the store talking about everything and nothing while leaning their heads on one another.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading. here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/AspectedMalefic) if. you wanna stop by.


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